AI apps are booming — and it's Python that is the backbone for many new services

Developers
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New research has revealed a significant boom in the development of artificial intelligence applications, with an average of 90 new AI apps created every day throughout 2023.

A report from Snowflake found Python has emerged as the preferred programming language for AI development. Developers favor its ease of use, active community, and vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks.

In reference to the trends, Snowflake revealed that more developers are now programming LLM applications directly on the platform that’s being used to manage data, which cna help to reduce maintenance costs and boost efficiency.

The report, compiled from usage data from more than 9,000 Snowflake customers, revealed that chatbots powered by LLMs have seen considerable growth – they now constitute 46% of the total LLM apps available, up from 18% in May 2023.

Jennifer Belissent, Principal Data Strategist at Snowflake, commented on this shift: “Conversational apps are on the rise, because that’s the way humans are programmed to interact… We expect to see this trend continue as it becomes easier to build and deploy conversational LLM applications, particularly knowing that the underlying data remains well governed and protected.”

Another hot topic in AI is data, with Snowflake referencing an IDC report claiming that up to 90% of the world’s data is unstructured video, images, and documents. Countless previous studies have urged enterprises to set a solid data foundation before venturing into AI, and Snowflake agrees: “Clean data gives language models a head start.”

The good news is that enterprises were found to be processing unstructured data 123% more than last year, but the reality is that there’s still a long way for many to go.

Belissent states that an enterprise’s data strategy should focus on “breaking down data silos even faster and opening up access to data sources.”

Ultimately, AI continues to be a relatively new technology, and many companies are continuing to learn about it, but the study does at least offer some insights into emerging trends, such as the importance of Python and data governance. 

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Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!